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A review by idk_indigo
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First off, I'm still quite confused as to what exactly caused the ultimate drift between Tigris & Coriolanus? Was it just that he was a murderous dick, or...?
Second, I am typically not the biggest fan of "add-ons," ie., when an author writes another book after the series is complete. That being said, this was really well done & also offered a lot of interesting insight to the actual trilogy. Kind of getting inside Snow's head, while horrifying, was a great way to see how the Hunger Games later developed in this fictional world.
Collins has such a marvelous capacity to so richly capture not just human morality, but also the ways in which humans struggle to understand & adhere to it. Snow's internal monologue was insane & while he is fundamentally a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad guy, he also has a lot of very human flaws. The way he's portrayed throughout the book is very human, & while we as an audience are kinda like, "Omg Snow please take a nap & a Xanax," we're also made to feel if not empathetic towards, then at least understanding of his actions. After all, I think a lot of us would argue that one of humanity's driving forces is definitely a sense of belonging.
There's this shift in the narrative at some point, & we suddenly realize: it's not belonging he's craving, it's power. I think throughout the beginning of the book & thus our introduction to Snow, we can almost convince ourselves that these thoughts he's having are rooted in wanting to fit in, even if they are a bit unhinged. But then there's that shift, & we're left recapping everything we know about Snow & it's this kind of realization that, well yeah, people think cruel & unusual things & no, that doesn't always reflect their actions, but Snow is a full-fledged sociopath.
Snow's relationship with Lucy Gray is based on an opinion he forms when he realizes that she can bring him fame, popularity, & ultimately, power. He claims Sejanus as a friend only when it is beneficial to him, only when being his friend gives him more standing than being his enemy does; & he makes this very clear when he changes the way he talks about their relationship depending on whom he's speaking to. He controls the narrative, always, & when he feels that he no longer can, eg., the scene at the lake, or anytime he is forced to be with the mockingjays, or when he is unsure how somebody else feels about him, he gets violent & abusive. He is a manipulator through & through.
Snow even decides that if he ever marries, it will be to somebody he hates because he is incapable of love has observed, over & over again, how unpredictable love seems to make us. He will never allow closeness, vulnerability, intimacy, because it will only make him weak.
SnOw LaNdS oN tOp yeah well Snow needs to go to therapy for his antisocial behavior & intense trust issues... Sure you're the president & whatnot, now tell me: how does it feel to have lived a lonely & unsatisfying life? How does it feel to have been killed by a teenager who represents everything you despise; not only that, but everything you might've been able to hold if you realized that power is never going to change your legacy?
F*ck Coriolanus Snow, all my homies hate Coriolanus Snow #wasitworthit
Second, I am typically not the biggest fan of "add-ons," ie., when an author writes another book after the series is complete. That being said, this was really well done & also offered a lot of interesting insight to the actual trilogy. Kind of getting inside Snow's head, while horrifying, was a great way to see how the Hunger Games later developed in this fictional world.
Collins has such a marvelous capacity to so richly capture not just human morality, but also the ways in which humans struggle to understand & adhere to it. Snow's internal monologue was insane & while he is fundamentally a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad guy, he also has a lot of very human flaws. The way he's portrayed throughout the book is very human, & while we as an audience are kinda like, "Omg Snow please take a nap & a Xanax," we're also made to feel if not empathetic towards, then at least understanding of his actions. After all, I think a lot of us would argue that one of humanity's driving forces is definitely a sense of belonging.
There's this shift in the narrative at some point, & we suddenly realize: it's not belonging he's craving, it's power. I think throughout the beginning of the book & thus our introduction to Snow, we can almost convince ourselves that these thoughts he's having are rooted in wanting to fit in, even if they are a bit unhinged. But then there's that shift, & we're left recapping everything we know about Snow & it's this kind of realization that, well yeah, people think cruel & unusual things & no, that doesn't always reflect their actions, but Snow is a full-fledged sociopath.
Snow's relationship with Lucy Gray is based on an opinion he forms when he realizes that she can bring him fame, popularity, & ultimately, power. He claims Sejanus as a friend only when it is beneficial to him, only when being his friend gives him more standing than being his enemy does; & he makes this very clear when he changes the way he talks about their relationship depending on whom he's speaking to. He controls the narrative, always, & when he feels that he no longer can, eg., the scene at the lake, or anytime he is forced to be with the mockingjays, or when he is unsure how somebody else feels about him, he gets violent & abusive. He is a manipulator through & through.
Snow even decides that if he ever marries, it will be to somebody he hates because he
SnOw LaNdS oN tOp yeah well Snow needs to go to therapy for his antisocial behavior & intense trust issues... Sure you're the president & whatnot, now tell me: how does it feel to have lived a lonely & unsatisfying life? How does it feel to have been killed by a teenager who represents everything you despise; not only that, but everything you might've been able to hold if you realized that power is never going to change your legacy?
F*ck Coriolanus Snow, all my homies hate Coriolanus Snow #wasitworthit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Child abuse
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and War
Minor: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Genocide, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail